cannabisnews.com: Bill Aims To Legalize Medical Marijuana
Bill Aims To Legalize Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on March 14, 2008 at 05:16:33 PT
By Paolo Cisneros
Source: Daily Illini
Illinois -- Members of the Illinois Senate Public Health Committee voted 6-4 last week in favor of a bill that would make Illinois the 13th state to legalize the usage of medical marijuana. The bill now goes to vote before the General Assembly.Pending approval of the Illinois Legislature, the bill will prohibit the arrest and subsequent prosecution of subjects with "debilitating medical conditions" who use medicinal marijuana under the condition that they possess no more than eight marijuana plants and two and a half ounces of usable marijuana. The patient's doctor would also be protected from prosecution.
The bill is co-sponsored by state Sens. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Angelo Saviano, R-River Grove, and was first filed by state Sen. Cullerton on Feb. 15."We're very close to passing this bill in Illinois," said Dan Bernath, assistant director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization that works to reform marijuana laws nationwide. "There are seriously ill people who need this medicine. Unfortunately the law says they're criminals if they use it," Bernath said. The Illinois Constitution stipulates that a bill must receive a majority vote in both the House and the Senate to become law, and proponents believe they are well on their way to making that happen."Right now, we're subjecting sick and dying people to arrests," said Tom Angell, government relations director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. "Everybody knows somebody with cancer or AIDS or multiple sclerosis. We don't think they should be treated like criminals."This is not the first time legislators in Illinois have tried to legalize medicinal marijuana. A similar bill passed the Public Health Committee last year but fell short of the majority needed in the Senate.Officials at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration declined to comment on the legislation.According to a press release posted on its Web site, "The scientific and medical communities have determined that smoked marijuana is a health danger, not a cure. There is no medical evidence that smoking marijuana helps patients."Bernath disagrees."We know that medical marijuana is effective at treating the nausea that chemotherapy patients experience in addition to being a very good painkiller for neuropathic pain," he said.A recent telephone poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc., funded by the Marijuana Policy Projects found that Illinois residents support the legalization of medicinal marijuana by a 68-27 percent margin.Regardless, supporters of the bill realize the opposition is a powerful force.Rep. Saviano said the bill's biggest opponents are state law enforcement agencies who feel its passing might undermine their efforts and make it easier for people without illnesses to obtain the drug."They feel that the way it's written, it might be too broad," Saviano said. "We're going to sit down with them to see if we can tighten it up. That's the key to getting it passed, getting the law enforcement community behind it."State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, voted against the bill citing two major reasons for doing so."The first issue is the viability of marijuana as a medicine," he said. "The second is, if you decide that you want to allow it as a medicine, how are you going to control it?"The bill as written provides a number of loopholes that would allow recreational users to more easily obtain the drug, Righter said. He added that the agencies that will expected to enforce the law do not have the resources necessary for the job."The bill is a disaster," he said.Saviano expects the legislation to go before the Senate for a vote during the first week of April. Note: General Assembly to hear legislation that would outlaw arrest of patients.Source: Daily Illini, The (IL Edu)Author: Paolo CisnerosPublished: March 14, 2008Copyright: 2008 Illini Media CoContact: opinions dailyillini.comWebsite: http://www.dailyillini.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Medical Marijuana Gets Supporthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23747.shtmlPot Proposal a Painful Onehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23740.shtmlState Bill Legalizing MMJ Sent To Senatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23738.shtml
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Comment #34 posted by Hope on March 17, 2008 at 09:58:50 PT
"fear and fear mongering"
Fear morphs into hatred so easily. It's like a chemical reaction. Fear mongers are supporters, creators even, of hatred... deep hatred.
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Comment #33 posted by dongenero on March 17, 2008 at 09:28:48 PT
Republican mantra - Fear
The Republican party seems to be the party of fear and fear mongering.Their behavior strikes me as much like fearful/aggressive dogs.Fear of marijuana, fear of free choice, fear of immigrants, fear of other religions, fear of open minded progressive thought, fear of opposing viewpoints, fear of the future, fear, fear, fear, fear.
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Comment #32 posted by FoM on March 17, 2008 at 05:06:36 PT
afterburner
Thank you so much. I have never thought this was anything but an R issue since Nixon.
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Comment #31 posted by afterburner on March 16, 2008 at 23:07:25 PT
#29 & #30
"Joining George, R-Texas Township, were state Sens. Patricia Birkholz, R-Saugatuck; Cameron Brown, R-Sturgis; and Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks; and state Reps. Jack Hoogendyk, R-Texas Township; Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton; and Rick Shaffer, R-Three Rivers." Their denial is as plain as the Republican on your face: party doctrine, dogma, commandments, superstition.
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Comment #30 posted by NikoKun on March 16, 2008 at 21:49:08 PT
I just don't get it...
After all we know as true... How can they STILL try to deny that Marijuana has medicinal value? -_-
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on March 16, 2008 at 20:35:14 PT
runruff
I can relate to the tired. I don't understand those people. They live on a different planet then I do.
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Comment #28 posted by runruff on March 16, 2008 at 20:18:26 PT:
I'm so tired............
Joining George, R-Texas Township, were state Sens. Patricia Birkholz, R-Saugatuck; Cameron Brown, R-Sturgis; and Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks; and state Reps. Jack Hoogendyk, R-Texas Township; Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton; and Rick Shaffer, R-Three Rivers. I guess these people kiss babys and gladhand their way into these jobs so they can tell people how to live?They are out of step with the public, hate referendums that force the will of the people onto them instead of vice versa.
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Comment #27 posted by fight_4_freedom on March 16, 2008 at 19:34:00 PT:
Kalamazoo Gazette again
MOST AREA LAWMAKERS OPPOSE MARIJUANA AS MEDICAL TREATMENTKALAMAZOO -- For five years, state Sen. Tom George worked for Hospice of Greater Kalamazoo, sometimes prescribing a synthetic form of marijuana called Marinol to help ease a person's pain or discomfort.But George, an anesthesiologist, opposes a ballot proposal that seeks to legalize marijuana use in Michigan for those seriously ill.State Rep. Fulton Sheen, a conservative Republican, opposed medical-marijuana use until he heard testimony from people who said they got relief from debilitating conditions by using the drug.He now supports the initiative, which could appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.Of southwestern Michigan's 10 state lawmakers, seven said they oppose legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes.Joining George, R-Texas Township, were state Sens. Patricia Birkholz, R-Saugatuck; Cameron Brown, R-Sturgis; and Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks; and state Reps. Jack Hoogendyk, R-Texas Township; Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton; and Rick Shaffer, R-Three Rivers. Such an initiative, they think, could lead to more crime and abuse among nonmedical marijuana users and could be the first step to complete legalization of marijuana."Marijuana is illegal for a reason," Jelinek said. "Its legalization, even for medical reasons, would denigrate our society eventually. (Using marijuana) is akin to a self-induced mental illness."State Reps. Robert Jones, D-Kalamazoo, and Sheen, R-Plainwell, support the initiative. They said those seriously ill should have marijuana as a treatment option if it helps and is properly regulated."The right story needs to be told by the right people," Jones said. "We can't be afraid of this as a society. Marijuana is a legitimate treatment for those suffering from serious diseases."State Rep. Lorence Wenke, R-Galesburg, said he is undecided on the medical-marijuana initiative."These are the types of proposals that politicians run from," Wenke said. "It's a very intense issue."Bill Ballenger, a Lansing-based political analyst and editor of Inside Michigan Politics, said it's easier for the Legislature to choose to not act on the initiative and allow voters to decide its fate. Leaders from the Senate and House have said they don't expect legislative action on the proposal. Gov. Jennifer Granholm opposes it."Finding a legislator who forms a gutsy position on issues like medical marijuana, like supporting it, is difficult," said Ballenger, adding he expects voters to pass the ballot initiative.http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/03/most_southwest_michigan_lawmak.htmlentire article
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Comment #26 posted by runruff on March 16, 2008 at 12:51:44 PT:
All aboard for the majical mystery tour!
The world is flat! I will be conducting paid, flat earth tours. To sign up contact Runruff at the Hunky Doryville Mediaeval Mentality Institute. Bring a hat and jacket, Kool-aid is included in the price. Sponsored by Scripps Corp.
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Comment #25 posted by Sam Adams on March 16, 2008 at 11:21:26 PT
one more
take a look at this op-ed:Another year, another $300 billionhttp://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/03/16/another_year_another_300_billion/
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Comment #24 posted by Sam Adams on March 16, 2008 at 11:19:39 PT
San Diego/Scripps
Ah, look how freely the cash flows if you're willing to become a Prohibitionist! $4 million dollars CASH. That's peanuts if you're willing to drink the prohibitionist 1984 Kool-Aid. You will be showered with money. Look where the money is going. Most of the high-end medical research is done on the coasts, San Diego is the most conservative city on the West Coast. Where can you find rich intellectuals that are ruthlessly conservative? SD baby, SD.Wtf? They've been searching for bad news about cannabis for 30 years, and STILL much remains unknown about the harms of it? Could it be that they don't exist? People have been looking for the Loch Ness monster for 30 years, they haven't found anything either.You really have to realize how far gone we are. This article is COMPLETE 1984 bullshit! Look at how it starts - talking about the harms of alcohol. They've got the balls to put that right in your face - the truth that alcohol is toxic poison compared to alcohol - and yet they know that most people are so brainwashed they'll reflexively jerk to attention and accept what they're being told - that MJ is addictive and NEEDS to be researched before it kills everyone.Horrible, it hurts to see this propaganda if you believe in modern, Enlightened world for mankind.As the economy goes bad in the next few years, one thing you have to understand is that we are not really in crisis. The USA has STAGGERING wealth. We pretend to have trouble affording education, health care, and social security for the elderly. Meanwhile, we've spent enough in Iraq to pay for social security for the next 75 years! We flush $4 million down the drain just to enrich some professional liar doctors like it's nothing.
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Comment #23 posted by Sam Adams on March 16, 2008 at 11:05:19 PT
Control is always what they want
State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, voted against the bill citing two major reasons for doing so."The first issue is the viability of marijuana as a medicine," he said. "The second is, if you decide that you want to allow it as a medicine, how are you going to control it?"Simple, send armed thugs to beat down the sick people & throw them into our prisons! Great model Mr. Righter, you're doing a great job!
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Comment #22 posted by museman on March 16, 2008 at 08:44:55 PT
blah blah
"The (US government funded))scientific and medical communities have determined that smoked marijuana is a health danger, not a cure. There is no medical evidence that smoking marijuana helps patients."There is no evidence that paying taxes to support all the liars and thieves does anyone (except the favored rich)any 'help' either -more to the contrary on both points.
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Comment #21 posted by Hope on March 16, 2008 at 07:19:43 PT
Animals in the study...
They are going to be mean to them, then kill them, break open their skulls, and slice their little brains up for slides to hopefully, not to mention, giddily, find another reason for the continued insanity of the prohibitionist/preventionists. They won't be killing the animals to eat them and survive... they'll be killing them to try to find some reason to keep persecuting people over a non poisonous herb that, in fact, helps and is beneficial to many people.We can all see the insanity happening right before our eyes and we can't do a thing to stop them. It's horrible.Innocent,helpless creatures being sacrificed on their altar to their so called War on Drugs. Of course they've sacrificed many, many people on their despicable altar to their false god. Seemingly, the prohibitionist/preventionists are unstoppable. The best we can actually hope for is that at least they won't slice and dice the humans in their study to prove their point. But then again, they might. There is a shamefully long list of humans and families and lives they have sacrificed on that bloody, specious altar to their cruel and unnatural obsession.
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on March 16, 2008 at 05:48:10 PT
gloovins
Hi to you too. All is well and thank you for asking.
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on March 16, 2008 at 05:31:59 PT
News Article From The LA Times
Marijuana Lights Up the Screen at SXSW Film Festival with 'Super High Me,' 'Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay,' 'Humboldt County'URL: http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-ca-stoner16mar16,0,2484470.story
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Comment #18 posted by gloovins on March 15, 2008 at 20:50:07 PT
Poor Mary Anne fm Gilligans Island...
Dawn Wells...tried to get away to Utah, mistake # 1. AND it was her birthday! All for God's herb, when will this $hit end?!Cant believe the Girls Scouts dropped her appearance - I'm going to write them an email & hand written letter as well. Tell them how I feel...maybe some c-news reader hopefully do too! here is their link, http://www.girlscouts.org/contact/ & you can see there is an 800 #. The ones dropping her are the Palm Glades Council in Palm Beach FL & their spokesperson is Holly Policy."Dawn Wells' arrest for pot possession is no laughing matter -- the "Gilligan's Island" star has been dropped from speaking at a Girl Scout event in Palm Beach because of it!" see link below for restBtw, hi Martha - hope all is well in the big O! +- God bless...
rest of story
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Comment #17 posted by runruff on March 15, 2008 at 17:03:34 PT:
Setting out to prove reefer madness.
That is all this is. How is it they already know there are withdrawls and addiction before their study?It's like if a study was to be done by the KKK to find out what makes black people ony 3/5ths human and why they are so much dumber than white people.No disrespect intended but only ment as an analogy.Why is this being funded by a drug company for an orginizition that can only exist with prohibition?This lady is setting out to see why not if the world is flat!As Nepolean Dynomite would say,"GOSH!"
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on March 15, 2008 at 14:27:51 PT
Reevaluating
An herb?
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on March 15, 2008 at 14:24:39 PT
GCW Comment 12
Amazing bullseye there. I've never seen it cut so cleanly and precisely and clearly as that. It's not a disease to like something, or even to like it too much or to be out of control about it. It's about being out of control at that point, or purposely thoughtless, or something. Maybe they're thinking "Character disorder"... and are thinking of that as a mental illness or disease. Screwed up character isn't a disease either. That's just my opinion. Are true mental illnesses considered "diseases"?
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on March 15, 2008 at 14:11:04 PT
It' strange to imagine
the kind of security that will be set up around their "research".They will be messing with something that people can absolutely not be trusted around and that every particle of is of extraordinary, extreme value.A herb? Imagine that?
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on March 15, 2008 at 14:08:08 PT
"animal and human studies"
Oh man. They're going to be mean to some animals.
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Comment #12 posted by The GCW on March 15, 2008 at 13:27:57 PT
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
http://www.boulderweekly.com/?site_id=619&id_sub=17757&page_id=17757&pagenum=14Gambling not a disease(Re: “You bet your life,” Cover story, March 6.) It’s fine to have compassion for people who struggle with a gambling problem, but to call it a disease or an addiction is failing to recognize responsibility. At best it can be called a weakness. If you’re a compulsive gambler, tell someone who has multiple sclerosis or breast cancer that you have a “disease.” Tell someone in the throes of heroin withdrawal that you have an “addiction.” The bottom line is that all a gambler has to do is make the decision to quit. Of course it’s not easy, but millions of people have found the inner strength and willpower to quit gambling or drinking. You can’t quit leukemia. When gamblers win, Hollywood makes movies about them, but if they lose, all of a sudden it’s not their fault. In these times, it seems everyone is a “victim” of something. What happened to personal responsibility?Kyle Richardson/Boulder
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Comment #11 posted by The GCW on March 15, 2008 at 13:24:40 PT
Cannabis persecution is a sin.
http://www.boulderweekly.com/?site_id=619&id_sub=17755&page_id=17755&pagenum=1A new kind of evil, nocturnal emissionWhen Dante penned his infamous Inferno, it seems he left out a couple of chapters on drugs and littering and whatnot. But that’s OK, because the Pope & Co. has decided that the Seven Deadly Sins are in need of a modernized update. During a recent week-long Vatican conference on confession, the Catholic Church’s Apostolic Penitentiary announced that, in many ways, sin has moved from the individual to the public sphere. And with the advent of globalization, our concept of sin needs some additional explanation. Some of the new sinful behaviors include drugs, genetic manipulation, pollution and the economic gap between the rich and poor. So Catholics, beware: You could be working your way toward the fiery depths next time you pop that Prozac or clone your dog. But while happy pills and Fido replicas might be relatively easy to relinquish, we’re a little concerned about the implications of pollution when it comes to eternal damnation. Living a pollution-and-Satan-free lifestyle is difficult; it requires a drop-off in car trips, energy consumption and the overall passing of gas. Yes, farts. Methane emissions are a major cause of air pollution and climate change — meaning we’re all going to hell in a handbasket. The best solution? Stop blaming the dog and start confessing. We’re not all perfect, but absolution comes to those who ask. Trust us, a hot room isn’t the best place for a bunch of bean-and-egg-breakfast-burrito consumers to spend eternity. Even Dante could tell you that.
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Comment #10 posted by augustwest on March 15, 2008 at 13:08:40 PT:
re SD tribune article
"The four-year project will involve animal and human studies that look at what happens in the body during cannabis addiction. That data will then be compared to what happens in the body during withdrawal and afterward." I guess these guys are convinced that cannabis is addictive in the first place. I beg to differ. the times I have had to stop puffing, for legal reasons, I found it much easier than I thought it was going to be. Giving up sweets and coffee proved much harder IMO.
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Comment #9 posted by John Tyler on March 15, 2008 at 08:58:18 PT
re #1 and #3
Funny isn’t it that if someone wants some research money for a cannabis research project they have to say that they are going to be looking for evidence that cannabis is bad? Virginia Commonwealth University did this in 1974 and found that cannabis not only did not cause cancer, but actually helped prevent some types of cancer. The study was shelved and never heard from again. So whenever I see stuff like this I wonder, is this a real study or just a sham to get some research money to keep the school’s lab going? If they find that cannabis is actually “good” will that be widely disseminated or not. Often times in academia people are judged by how much research grant money they can bring in, and by how much they can publish, not so much on the quality.
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Comment #8 posted by Paint with light on March 14, 2008 at 20:57:11 PT
1984 speak
Translational Center on the Clinical Neurobiology of Cannabis Addiction.Purpose: To translate facts into lies.Future projects include; The Hall for the Study of the Infinite Wisdom of the Drug War.
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Comment #7 posted by dongenero on March 14, 2008 at 14:21:29 PT
then there is this guy........
State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, who obviously should give it a little more thought before he speaks....."The first issue is the viability of marijuana as a medicine,"Not viable as medicine? There is no excuse for ignorance of the viability in this day and age."The second is, if you decide that you want to allow it as a medicine, how are you going to control it?"Wait a minute....if?, I thought you said it wasn't medicine? Okay well, how to control it?......maybe like other medicine, with doctors orders. There is some precedent for that , no?Then this.........
"He added that the agencies that will expected to enforce the law do not have the resources necessary for the job."Well if law enforcement doesn't have the resources necessary to enforce cannabis laws under this proposed legislation, they certainly don't under the current legislation as well.The answer? How about ending prohibition?Either start making sense or just get out of the way Senator Righter!
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Comment #6 posted by observer on March 14, 2008 at 13:14:00 PT
translation
Rep. Saviano said the bill's biggest opponents are state law enforcement agencies who feel its passing might undermine their efforts and make it easier for people without illnesses to obtain the drug.Translation:The bill's biggest opponents are state law enforcement agencies who fear its passing will undermine their efforts for taxpayer-sponsored make-work narcotics law enforcement career advancement.Busting non-violent pot-smokers and then stealing their assets and milking them dry with "court costs" (etc.) is easy pickings, compared to real law enforcement work like protecting people from violent criminals. Not to mention the for-profit prison industrial complex. Down home folks like:
Corrections Corporation of America,
U.S. Corrections Corporation,
CCA,
CiviGenics,
Cornell Companies,
Cornell Cos,
Correctional Systems Inc,
Service House, Inc(70%),
Emerald Correctional Management,
CorPlan Inc,
LCS Correction Services,
Psychiatric Solutions Inc,
Management Training Corp,
MTC Corporation,
Kellogg, Brown Root,
Commonwealth Corrections Solutions,
Prison Health Services Inc,
Correctional Medical Services Inc,
MHM Correctional Services Inc,
Wackenhut Corrections Facility,
Wackenhut Prison,
Wackenhut Services Incorporated,
WSI,
GEO Group,
George C. Zoley,
Alternative Monitoring Services,
American Correctional Association,
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC),
Biometric Systems,
Biometric Foundation,
Bobby Ross Group,
Capital Correction Resources,
Cornell Corrections,
Dominion Management,
Dove Development Corporation,
Earl Warren Legal Institute,
Federal Extradition Agency,
General Security Service,
Global Solutions Ltd,
Iridian Technologies, Inc,
IriScan, Inc,
Juvenile and Jail Facility Management Services, Inc.,
Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Council (LECTAC),
Mace Security Inc.,
Management and Training Corporation,
Marriott Management Services,
N-Group Securities,
National Criminal Justice Commission,
National Institute of Corrections,
NIC\b(5%),
Premier Custodial Group,
Premier Detention Services,
Printrak,
Prison Industries,
Prison Realty Trust,
Prison telephone service,
AT.{1,5}T The Authority,
BellSouth MAX,
MCI Maximum Security,
North American Intelecom,
R S Prisoner Transport,
SENTRI,
Secured Electronic Network for Travelers' Rapid Inspection,
Serco Group, Inc.,
Stun Tech Inc.,
TransCor America,
Urban Development Corporation.Jailing riff-raff for marijuana is as American as Apple Pie. Don't you know?
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on March 14, 2008 at 10:33:25 PT
Harold & Kumar Go to Whitecastle
That was absolutely hilarious. I laughed so much.
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on March 14, 2008 at 10:25:49 PT
Yep. I figured that was "the ticket".
"The ultimate goal of this research is to help develop novel approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of marijuana addiction."We're forced to pay for it out of our taxes, too.Here's hoping this "scientific" research also winds up pointing to the benefits of cannabis, in spite of their desire for "novel approaches" to persecution of people who enjoy and benefit from cannabis.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on March 14, 2008 at 10:08:55 PT
News Article from AScribe Newswire
Scripps Research Team Wins $4 Million Grant to Study Effects of Chronic Marijuana Use LA JOLLA, Calif., March 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- A group of investigators led by The Scripps Research Institute's Professor Barbara Mason has won a $4 million grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the effects of chronic marijuana use, including influence on brain function and the consequences of withdrawal. "I'm really excited about the opportunity that this grant offers," says Mason. "It's time to get some clarity on how cannabis use impacts cognitive function, induces withdrawal symptoms, and affects the body's stress systems. This is important information. People are deciding every day whether to use or not to use marijuana, for medical purposes or otherwise, and there is little scientific information to advise this decision." The NIDA grant will fund the startup of a new Translational Center on the Clinical Neurobiology of Cannabis Addiction, the first such center to be dedicated to studying the neurobiology of cannabis dependence. The ultimate goal of this research is to help develop novel approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of marijuana addiction. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug. The 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimated 97.8 million Americans aged 12 or older had tried marijuana at least once in their lifetimes; 25.4 million had used marijuana in the past year. Of those admitted to treatment programs for drug addition in 2005, marijuana was the primary drug for 292,250 people or 15.8 percent. Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/26xuw9
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 14, 2008 at 07:28:49 PT
Entertainment News From The Los Angeles Times
Marijuana Lights Up The Screen at SXSW Film Festival with 'Super High Me,' 'Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay,' 'Humboldt County'***At the freewheeling festival, screenings and forums let cannabis shed a little stigma.By Chris Lee, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 16, 2008 URL: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-stoner16mar16,1,5699508.story
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 14, 2008 at 05:46:13 PT
Article From The San Diego Tribune
Study Aims To Clear Haze Surrounding Pot Addiction March 14, 2008Atrophy of the brain and cirrhosis of the liver are long-term side effects of heavy alcohol dependence. And withdrawal for alcoholics can bring sometimes fatal delirium tremors and convulsions. Those facts are well known. But much less is known about marijuana, the nation's most widely used and socially accepted illicit drug. Our knowledge of marijuana is often based on personal experience, observation or anecdotes, despite a growing collection of scientific studies on the topic. Scripps Research Institute addiction expert Barbara Mason hopes to change that, and to help find novel treatments for addiction to marijuana, with some solid scientific data. Mason is leading the first-ever comprehensive study on the neurobiological effects of cannabis addiction, funded with a $4 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The four-year project will involve animal and human studies that look at what happens in the body during cannabis addiction. That data will then be compared to what happens in the body during withdrawal and afterward. The four scientific labs involved, including one at UCSD, will then submit their findings to the drug abuse institute to help researchers develop new medications that can help prevent relapse. Not that Mason wants to be a buzz kill. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/science/20080314-9999-1n14dope.html
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